The Michigan Program for Advancing Cultural Transformation has announced the appointment of five new tenure-track assistant professors with research expertise spanning critical areas, including early human development for individuals exposed to environmental risks, substance abuse prevention and equitable obstetric care.
The program recruited these newly appointed scholars with the hope they will introduce innovative approaches to their research, teaching and service, while consistently reflecting the University of Michigan’s institutional values and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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“We look forward to welcoming these outstanding new scholars who bring with them cutting-edge and diverse perspectives, along with strong commitments toward more positive and equitable health outcomes in our society,” said Robert Sellers, the James S. Jackson Distinguished University Professor of Psychology.
Sellers, who is also a professor of psychology in LSA and a professor of education in the Marsal Family School of Education, leads the program with Reshma Jagsi, an adjunct professor of radiation oncology in the Medical School.
“Their contributions will be instrumental in helping the university advance its mission to serve the people of Michigan and the world through excellence,” Sellers said.
M-PACT was established in 2023 through a $63.7 million investment by U-M and a five-year, $15.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research, it is led by a team of senior faculty with extensive expertise and experience in managing large-scale programs, with a proven track-record of successful outcomes and impact.
The program aims to recruit and support 30 new faculty members in 11 U-M biomedical and health science units on the Ann Arbor campus by 2026, offering evidence-based best practices and policies to advance cultural transformation across the campus.
“Cultivating a strong, diverse faculty and supporting their success is crucial for advancing innovative research, and inclusive educational and professional environments,” said Tabbye Chavous, vice provost for equity and inclusion and the university’s chief diversity officer.
“Through M-PACT, we are laying the groundwork for enhancing excellence in the health sciences by creating a more equitable and inclusive culture and academic community.”
M-PACT is among 15 programs at U.S. colleges and universities to receive awards through the NIH Common Fund Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation Program. Initiated in 2020, the FIRST program supports institutions in building self-reinforcing communities of scientists by recruiting early-career faculty committed to inclusive excellence. FIRST aims to positively impact faculty development, retention, progression and promotion, fostering sustainable inclusive environments across the biomedical and health sciences community.
Part of U-M’s broader DEI 2.0 initiative, M-PACT advances the university’s goal to increase faculty diversity and promote equitable access and opportunity for faculty to thrive. It is designed to help new faculty develop their identities as scholars and academic leaders, offering a holistic faculty development infrastructure that equips and prepares them for tenure and beyond.
“The goal of M-PACT is to create a transformative impact by bringing in exceptional scholars dedicated to diversity and inclusive excellence in the health sciences,” said Jagsi, who is also the chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Emory School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. “By fostering a supportive environment, we aim to advance the future leaders of biomedical and health sciences.”
The new tenure-track assistant professors are:
• Autumn Rae Florimbio, Medical School — A researcher focusing on the prevention and early intervention of substance use, interpersonal violence, and co-occurring conditions among young people, particularly emerging adults and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Olivia Halabicky, School of Nursing — A children’s environmental health nurse scientist studying how early life exposures influence human development. Her research examines how inequitable environmental and social exposures at sensitive periods shape health trajectories and disparities, using interdisciplinary methods from nursing, epidemiology and developmental sciences.
• Natasha Kumar, Medical School — A researcher developing interventions to expand equitable obstetric care, focusing on implementation science, community-engaged research and health equity aiming to optimize postpartum transitions for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
• Anna Maurer, LSA — A researcher studying in adeno-associated viral vector biology, focusing on host cell interactions, while also committed to increasing diversity in biomedical research by mentoring community college students through science, technology, engineering and math degree transfers.
• Erica Twardzik, School of Kinesiology — A researcher focused on improving the lives, well-being and inclusion of people with disabilities by integrating multiple data sources to study how environments affect mobility to inform policies that promote societal participation and inclusion.
For the 2024-25 cycle, U-M is accepting applications from candidates at the following schools, colleges and institutes by the listed deadlines:
- School of Dentistry — June 15, 2025
- College of Engineering — Jan. 15, 2025
- Institute for Social Research — June 15, 2025
- School of Kinesiology — Application now closed
- Life Sciences Institute — June 15, 2025
- LSA — Oct. 15
- Medical School — March 1, 2025
- School of Nursing — Ongoing until filled
- College of Pharmacy— Dec. 31, or until filled
- School of Public Health — Ongoing until filled
- School of Social Work — Oct. 31
